Can opener



Sept. 25, 1934. J, .1. EGAN 1,974,671

CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 24. 1931 sheets-sneet 1 FIG. I.

INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY.

Sept; 25, 1934.

J. J.' EGAN 1,974,671

CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 24. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

FIG. 4.

INVENTOR:

I JOHN J. EGAN.

ATTORNEY Spt. 25, 1934. J4 E AN 1,974,671

CAN OPENER I Filed Aug. 24. 1951 3 Shegts-Sheet 3 IN VENTORZ JOHN J. EGAN.

ATTORNEY. v

Patented Sept. 25, 1934 NITED STATES PATENT o'FF cs CAN OPENER, H John J. Egan,San Francisco, Calif. Application August 24, 1931', Serial No. 559,040 4 Claims. (01. 113-1) openers. i i I Broadly statea m invention consists of a pair of ov'erlapping' reciprocating jaws adapted to unfold the interlocked seam holding the tops on cans. i

The principal object of the invention is to open cans without cutting the material of which they are composed. e 1

L Another object is to eliminate the dangers of injury to the hands of the operator and burrs and splinters of metal falling into the contents of the cans. i i i Otherobjectsandadvantages will appear as "15. theidescription progresses. I

I In this specification and the accompanying drawings the invention isdisclosed in its preferred form; It is to be lunderstood, however, that it is'not'liinited to this form, because it may be embodied inother forms without departing" from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the claims followingthe description; j r j In the threesheetsof drawings: 1

Fig. l isa side elevation of a canopener of 251 the fixed type, constructed in accordance with thisinvention; v

Fig. 2 is afrontview of the same. 1

Fig. 3 isa horizontal section of the same, taken on the line III--III; Fig. 1.

30, Fig. 4 isa verticaPsection taken on the line *IV w Fig. 5is an enlarged detail in side elevation of the operating jaws; diagrammatically illustrating the manner in which the flanged, interlocked '35 seam is unfolded.

Fig.- '6 is a fragmentary detail in vertical section illustrating the first step in unfolding the interlocked seam.

, Fig. 'I is a side elevation of a modified or port- -zm able form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of the invention adapted for inexpensive manufacture.

In detail the construction illustrated in the .45; drawings, referring to Fig. 1, comprises the base 1,

having the standard 2 fixed thereto. This standard extends forward at 3 and has the upper jaw 4 fixed thereto. The bearings 5-S are formed in the standard and the jaw 4 respectively.

The crank shaft '7 is journaled in these bear ings and has the intermediate crank pin 8. The operating crank arm 9 is fixed on the shaft 7 and has the convenient swivel handle 10 thereon.

The pitman rod 11 is pivoted at 12 tothe crank pin 8 and at 13 to the lower jaw 14. This jaw is This inventionrelates to improvements in can vertically slidable in the overhanging guide 15 which has the integral side braces l5 -15 extending to thelowerend of the jaw 4. The jaw 4 and the guide 15 may thus be die cast in one piece, thus imparting the necessary rigidity to the str'ucture. if The screws 2 extend through the standard 2 to fix the guide thereto; i

The lower end of thejawterminates in the foot lfi'adjacent the shoulder 17 on the lower jaw when the arm 9 is at rest. The inner edge of the foot 16 is cliamfered to form the laterally projecting shoulder 16'; The space between the chamfered edge ofthe foot 16 and the shoulder 17 is substantially equal to the width and the height of the locked seam X which formsa flange around theupper edge. of a can and locks the cover X to the body X" of the can-"(see the dotted lines in Fig.6)...

The lower jaw 14 has the upper and lower shoulders 17 and 17 which liein the same lateral plane. The edge of. the shoulder Lilies at a higher level than the shoulder 17- and is adapted to be raised abovetheshoulder lfion the foot 16 by the rotation of the crank arm 9 (see Fig. 5). The lower shoulder 17', however, only rises to the extent shown in Fig-6 beneath the plane of-the shoulder 16. i i

The bottom of the can rests upon the. vertically adjustable bracket 18. This bracket has the w head 19 slidable freely up anddownthe standard 2, with sufllcient play to cause it to cramp and re main in adjusted position when pressure is applied downward at 18. This bracket is flanged at 20 to aline the side of the can with the vertical opening between the jawslfi -l'l. 1

This invention operates substantially as follows: The flange X is inserted between the foot 16 and the shoulder 17 so that the foot rests upon I the top X of the can on the inner side of the flange and the shoulder 1'7 bears against the under side of the flange. The bracket 18 is then lifted until it will support the bottom of the can when it is opened and during the opening operation.

Turning the crank 9, by means of the handle 10, causes the shoulder 17' of the reciprocating jaw 14 to lift against the resistance of the chamfered edge of the jaw 4 and seats the shoulder 16' upon the upper edge of the flange X. This partially unfolds the flange and bends it outward as shown m5 at X in Fig. 6.

The can is slightly rotated on the platform 18 by the operator, between the reciprocations of the lower jaw 14, to feed the flange X between the working jaw and the foot 16, as the opening no progresses. In the second stage of the unfolding of the flange, the bent out portion X is engaged by the shoulder 17 of the working jaw. This uncurls the flange and strips it upward against the side of the shoulder 16' as shown in Fig. 5.

This unfolding of the flange X unlocks the cover X from the body X" of the can Without cutting any metal or exposing the contents of the can during the opening operation. The cover X' being still intact, may be used as a lid to protect the contents until used.

If the planes of the shoulders 1'7 and 17"are' made slightly oblique to the plane of the foot 16,

as shown in Fig. 2, the shoulders will exert a tilting pressure against the flange X, which reduces the resistance to the unfolding action.

The modification shown in Fig. 7 operates as described to open a can, but differs in construction.

The jaws 4a: and 14m, have the opposed overlapping ends 16m and 17a respectively, that operate on the flange X in the same manner as their counter parts 1617, as above described.

These jaws are actuated in parallelism by' the opposed handles 21,22 which are pivoted together at 23, and have their opposite ends pivoted to their respective jaws at 24-25. The inner ends of the jaws are slotted at 2627 respectively, to engage the transverse pins 2829 extending across the U section of the handles 2l22, in the manner of the conventional par allel jaw pliers.

The spring 30 contracts between its anchor 31 in the handle 22 and the end 32 of the jaw 14st, to maintain the jaw ends 16m1'7m normally separated, as shown. In using the modified opener, the can is preferably set upon a table and held by one hand .of the operator, who grasps the handles 2122 in the other hand. The jaw ends 16x :17:r are then placed over the flange X with thejawzr upward. Compressing the handles 21-'-22, reciprocates the jaws 4ac'14a:, which unfolds the flange X- as previously described, as-the can is rotated between the jaw ends.

By sacrificing, the parallel action of'the jaws 5 the cost of production can be lowered by crossing the handles 33'34- on'the pivot 35, scissors fash-' ion, as shown in Fig. 8. The jaw iscrhas the depending end; 16m opposed to the end 17mm on the jaw 14mm. .This form would be operated with thehandles tangential to the circumference of the can. The same eifect could be obtained by offsetting the jaw ends 16a:1'7a: at 90? to the plane of the handles 21--22.

' Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. An opener for cans having interlocked seams, including an upper jaw adapted to engage over the top of a can and abut the interlocked seam and having a shoulder projecting laterally therefrom above the lower edge thereof and adapted to engage over the top of the seam, a lower jaw spaced laterally from said upper jaw and consisting of two longitudinally arranged shoulders of varying height and adapted to engage under the interlocked seam, and means for moving said lower jaw with respect to the upper jaw to unfold the interlocked seam.

. 2. An opener for cans having interlocked seams, comprising a fixed standard, an upper jaw secured to said standard and adapted to engage over the top of a can and abut the interlocked seam and having a shoulder projecting laterally therefrom above the lower edge thereof and adapted to engage over the top of the seam, a lower jaw spaced laterally from said upper jaw and said shoulder and slidably guided on said standard and adapted to engage under theinterlocked seam, and means for raising the lower jaw above the level of said shoulder to unfold the interlocked seam.

3. An opener for cans having interlocked seams, comprising a fixed standard having a forward extension at its upper end, an upper jaw secured to said extension and depending therefrom and adapted to engage over the top of a can and abut the interlocked seam and having a shoulder extending laterally therefrom above the lower edge thereof and adapted to engage over the top. of the seam, a guide fixed-to said standard and integrally connected tosaid upper jaw, a lower jaw slidably mounted in said guide and spaced laterally from said upper jaw and said shoulder and adapted to engage under the interlocked seam, a revoluble crank pin mounted on said standard, a manually operable crank adapted to revolve said crank pin, a pitman connecting said crank pin and said lower jaw and adapted to raise said lower jaw above the level of said shoulder to unfold the interlocked seam.

4. An opener for cans having interlocked 129 seams comprising a lower .jaw adapted to engage under the interlocked seam; an upper jaw having a foot spaced laterally from said lower jaw substantially less than the thickness of said seam, and having a shoulder projecting laterally therefrom above the level of said foot and spaced from said lower jaw a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said seam when unfolded; and means for raising said lower jaw above the level of both said foot and shoulder of said upper jaw.

- v JOHN J. EGAN. 

